Planners: South Coast Rail and casino could collaborate

Thursday

Jul 5, 2012 at 12:01 AMJul 5, 2012 at 5:14 AM

Two proposed SouthCoast projects may find common ground.

The Southeastern Massachusetts Commuter Rail Task Force aims to discuss coordinated plans for the state’s proposed South Coast Rail project and a potential casino in Taunton, whose gaming compact is currently under negotiation between the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe and Gov. Deval Patrick.

Marc Larocque

Two proposed SouthCoast projects may find common ground.

The Southeastern Massachusetts Commuter Rail Task Force aims to discuss coordinated plans for the state’s proposed South Coast Rail project and a potential casino in Taunton, whose gaming compact is currently under negotiation between the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe and Gov. Deval Patrick.

Participants in the task force meetings said they have long hoped that a resort casino created through the Massachusetts gaming legislation, whether tribal or commercial, could help fund the proposed commuter rail expansion with a price tag ranging from $1.45 billion to $1.88 billion.

“I think in general at our last meeting there was a sense that if the casino moves forward, we can’t just let it proceed on an independent track,” said Steve Smith, executive director of the Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District (SRPEDD). “The gaming legislation says that when casino proposals are reviewed, they need to consider how it supports other state priorities. The point has been made to casino backers that that the South Coast Rail is one of those priorities and they should consider that. It hasn’t gone further than that at this point. But certainly it’s something that should be looked at.”

The Southeastern Massachusetts Commuter Rail Task Force is next set to meet on July 18 at 3 p.m. at Heritage State Park in Fall River. The potential coordination between a casino partner and the South Coast Rail is on the agenda as old business for the meeting.

Patrick’s administration said it’s too early to talk about funding state projects through a casino in southeastern Massachusetts.

“The South Coast Rail is a priority for this administration but it is too soon to talk about specific funding for any specific project from any gaming revenue,” said a spokesperson for the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development. “Broadly speaking, the Expanding Gaming Act requires investing a portion of commercial gaming revenues in projects that support economic development and infrastructure and we are working on a compact for a tribal facility that is consistent with the principles of the Expanding Gaming Act.”

Some critics have been skeptical about the South Coast Rail because funding sources have never been identified, and a timetable for construction has not yet been set.

Smith, of SRPEDD, said he has met with representatives of the Mashpee Wampanoags, including former Congressman William Delahunt, and that they were “excited” about collaborating on the South Coast Rail project.

“I talked to former Congressman Delahunt,who is working with them, and this came up,” Smith said. “He and his chief of staff thought, yeah, that was a good possibility.”

Smith noted that the Wampanoags’ planned location for a resort casino would be right next to a planned train station on the South Coast Rail to come through Taunton, stopping right behind where the city’s Target department store is currently located. Smith added that planned train stations on the South Coast Rail would also be located next to the Raynham Park dog track, a potential location for a slot parlor provided through the gaming legislation, and near a spot in New Bedford that KG Urban Enterprises hopes to turn into a casino.

Smith said either way, moving forward, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission will review proposals considering dollars being contributed to the South Coast Rail and other public improvement projects. He said that if mitigation specifically for the South Coast Rail is not being offered by the tribe, other measures are available to redirect casino dollars to the train project, including the governor’s compact with the tribe that is being negotiated.

“If the Native Americans proceed differently, the governor’s compact or the U.S. Bureau of Indian affairs review could address it,” Smith said. “It could go down different tracks depending on what type of proposal we are looking at.”